The Norman occupation
with the Pope was minimal. Frequently, it was made clear that he was the sole ruler, authority did not reside in Rome, this included refusing to pay fealty to him, a feud which grew under his son, William II. Furthermore, as was the case with the nobility, the high-ranking officials within the church were replaced withNormans, with individuals such as Lanfranc becoming Archbishop of Canterbury in 1070 (however, examples such as Bishop Odo of Bayeux becoming Earl of Kent prove there was still close relationships maintained between the church and the crown). Fundamentally, William needed to ‘Norman ize ’ the church for it held significant power (due to its material assets and religious influence) in the administration of any country in the medieval period. Some Saxons did retain their posts, for example, Æthelwig, Abbot of Evesham, remained in his position and aided Lanfranc in William’s absence in 1075 to quash a rebellion by the earls of Hereford, Norfolk, and Northumbria. The literacy of the clergy and the inherent wealth of the religious seesmeant it was also vital forWilliam to enact authority over them in order to help consolidate his power. However, some independence was gained underWilliam. With the split of the courts, ecclesiastics had their own jurisdiction in law. While administrative abilities (such as procuring writs) remained with the clergy, the Church remained somewhat similar, in structure, but with different personnel. Nevertheless, such command over the church suggests that the Norm an’s presence in England was more than that of ‘an army of occupation’. Finally, with the Normans, came a cultural innovation that pervaded society, in mediums such as architecture and language. In the years from 975 to 1042, prior to Edward the Confessor’s accession to the throne, England had been ruled by a succession of eight kings from three different families. Now, following Edward andHarold’s deaths, another ‘ family ’ came to rule. This heavy turnover could suggest that the Normans might only occupy England for a short period of time. However, the initial trickle of Norman cultural influence that had begun in the reign of the Confessor (his mother was Queen Emma of Normandy and Edward appointed a number of Norman to senior roles), became a wave following the conquest. In order to consolidate his power postconquest and as part of this cultural transmission, Williambegan the construction of a vast number of castles throughout England with the use of Norman architecture. 6 Initially, due to speed of construction, motte and bailey designs were preferred, but many of these were later replaced by stone fortresses. The Burhs founded under Alfred the Great do not compete with this vast change in fortification; these castles also helped to displace large numbers of settlements. For instance, it is thought that a ninth of York was cleared to make way for construction. Elsewhere, Norman architecture was used to establish religious centres, whether they be cathedrals, abbeys or parish churches, the likes of which include Durham and Rochester Cathedral. Compared to the small structures that proceeded them these new castles and cathedrals would have been truly awe inspiring. In addition to this, as the nobility steadily became increasingly Norman, the writs and records of government began to be written more in Latin than Old English. It is thought that by 1080, Latin had entirely ousted Old English in government business (though elements of Old English continued to prevail, for example, the English word cniht ultimately replaced the French term chevalier for the word knight for such a change in language will have predominantly been in relation to administration). Finally, Willi am’s introduction of Forest Law, Deer Parks and Hunting Landscapes altered the culture of the nobility. For example, with the Normans came an influx in Red Deer and a decrease in Roe Deer
6 Norman Architecture is a nuanced Norman version of the common Romanesque style of the period and a precursor to Gothic architecture, also utilized by the Normans.
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